Northanger Abbey was the first novel Jane Austen wrote, but it wasn't published until after Austen's death in 1817 together with Persuasion. The novel is a coming of age story and a satire of Gothic novels while earnestly emphasizing caution to the female sex.
The story follows the innocent young protagonist Catherine Morland, and her journey to a better understanding of herself and of the world around her while vacationing at Bath and during her visit to Northanger Abbey.